Rose ViewLink CATx User Manual

ViewLink CATx

Micro-Mini KVM Extender

AUTO EQUALIZATION AND AUTO SKEW MODELS

INSTALLATION AND OPERATIONS

MANUAL

10707 Stancliff Road Phone: [phone]
Houston, Texas www.rose.com

LIMITED WARRANTY

Rose Electronics
of purchase from Rose Electronics or an authorized dealer. Should this product fail to be in good working
order at any time during this one-year warranty period, Rose Electronics will, at its option, repair or replace
the Unit as set forth below. Repair parts and replacement units will be either reconditioned or new. All
replaced parts become the property of Rose Electronics. This limited warranty does not include service to
repair damage to the Unit resulting from accident, disaster, abuse, or unauthorized modification of the
Unit, including static discharge and power surges.

Limited Warranty service may be obtained by delivering this unit during the one-year warranty period to
Rose Electronics or an authorized repair center providing a proof of purchase date. If this Unit is delivered
by mail, you agree to insure the Unit or assume the ris k of loss or damage in transit, to prepay s hipping
charges to the warranty service location, and to use the original shipping container or its equivalent. You
must cal l f or a return authorization number f irst. Under no circumstances will a unit be accept ed without a
return authorization number. Contact an authorized repair center or Rose Electronics for further
information.

ALL EXPRESS AND IMPLIED WARRANTIES FOR THIS PRODUCT INCLUDING THE WARRA NTIE S
OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ARE LIMITED IN DURATION
TO A PERIOD OF ONE YEAR FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE, AND NO WARRANTIES, WHETHER
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WILL APPLY AFTER THIS PERIOD. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW
LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN IMPLIED WARRANTY LASTS, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY
NOT APPLY TO YOU.

IF THIS PRODUCT IS NOT IN GOOD WORKING ORDER AS WARRANTIED ABOVE, YOUR SOLE
REMEDY SHALL BE REPLACEMENT OR REPAIR AS PROVIDED ABOVE. IN NO EVENT WILL ROSE
ELECTRONICS BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY DAMAGES INCLUDING ANY LOST PROFITS, LOST
SAVINGS OR OTHER INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISI NG OUT OF THE USE OF
OR THE INABILITY TO USE SUCH PRODUCT, EVEN IF ROSE ELECTRONICS OR AN AUTHORIZED
DEALER HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY CLAIM BY
ANY OTHER PARTY.

SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES FOR CONSUMER PRODUCTS, SO THE ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY TO
YOU. THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS AND YOU MAY ALSO HAVE OTHER
RIGHTS WHICH MAY VARY FROM STATE TO STATE.

NOTE: This equipment has been test ed and found t o c omply with the limits fo r a C lass A digital device,
pursuant to Part 15 of he FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against
harmful interference when the equipment is operated i n a c om mercial env ironment. T h is equipmen t
generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with
the instruction ma n ual, may caus e harmful i nterference to radio communications. Operation of this
equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be
required to correct the interference at his own expense.

IBM, AT, and PS/2 are tr ademarks of Internatio nal Business Machine s Corp. Micr osoft and Microsoft
Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp . Any other trad e m ark s men tioned in this manu al
are acknowledged to be the property of the trademark owner.

Copyright Rose Electronics 2006. All rights reserved.
No part of this manual may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transcribed in any form or any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, without the prior written permission of Rose
Electronics.

Rose Electronics Part # MAN-VLC5
Printed In the United States of America - Revision 2.0

®

warrants the ViewLink™ CATx to be in good w orking order for one year from the date

IC STATEMENTS, EU DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY

EUROPEAN UNION DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY

ACCORDING TO COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 89/336EEC & 73/23EEC

This equipment complies with the
requirements of the European EMC Directive
89/336/EEC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

Disclaimer ............................................................................................................ 1

System introduction ............................................................................................. 1

Features ............................................................................................................... 2

Package contents ................................................................................................ 2

Models ................................................................................................................. 3

Installation ............................................................................................................ 4

Installing the Switch model – ............................................................................ 4

Installing the Video only model - ...................................................................... 5

Operation ............................................................................................................. 6

Keyboard Commands .......................................................................................... 6

Keyboard Commands - Country Codes ............................................................... 7

Keyboard Commands – Skew Adjustment (Skew models only) ......................... 7

Flash Utility features / procedure ......................................................................... 8

TroubleShooting ................................................................................................ 11

Maintenance and Repair .................................................................................... 12

Technical Support .............................................................................................. 12

Safety ................................................................................................................. 13

Figures

Figure 1. Quick Installation Diagram ................................................................... 6

Figure 2. Models .................................................................................................. 3

Figure 3. Monitor mounting bracket ..................................................................... 4

Figure 4. Flash Scan Screen ............................................................................... 9

Figure 5. Flash Port Configuration ....................................................................... 9

Figure 6. Flash scan .......................................................................................... 10

Appendices

Appendix A – Part Numbers .............................................................................. 14

Appendix B – Specifications .............................................................................. 15

Appendix C – Grounding ................................................................................... 16

Appendix D – Video Only Model ........................................................................ 17

Appendix E – DDC – EDID table acquisition procedure .................................... 17

QUICK START GUIDE

#1 Connect Receiver #2 Connect Transmitter

#3 Connect CATx Cable

KVM Station

PC
or
Switch

Quick Start guide

The ViewLink system consists of a transmitter unit that connects to the video,
keyboard, and mouse ports on a PC, server, or to a KVM switch and a receiver
unit that connects to a keyboard, monitor, and mouse. The transmitter and
receiver units are connected together with up to 1,000 feet of solid CATx cable
(Distance depends on the resolution used). The transmitter and receiver are
available for PS/2, USB, or PS/2-USB systems. This section briefly describes
the installation procedures. Refer to the following steps and diagram to install
your ViewLink Catx.

Step #1 –Connect the Receiver unit to the keyboard, monitor, and mouse

cables on your KVM station. Connect the provided power adapter to
the Receiver unit’s power input jack.

Step #2 –Connect the Transmitter unit to the keyboard, monitor, and mouse

ports on your PC. Depending on your ViewLink CATx model, connect
it to either the PS/2 (MiniDin6) or USB ports. If you are connecting to
a KVM switch using the DB25 model, connect it to the KVM port on
the switch.

Step #3 –Connect the Receiver and Transmitter units together using up to

1,000 feet of CATx cable (CAT5, 5e, or 6).

Step #4 –Apply power to the KVM monitor, the Receiver unit, and boot your PC

(turn on the KVM switch if using the DB25 model).
Note: All equipment should be tied to a common low resistance ground.
When you initialize the extender, it automatically senses the cable distance

between the transmitter and receiver unit, adjusts the compensation and sets
up everything for you. Refer to the manual instructions for additional
information.

#4 Apply power

(See Appendix C and D for grounding and video only models)

Figure 1. Quick Installation Diagram

INTRODUCTION

Disclaimer

While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this manual, the
manufacturer assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither does
the manufacturer assume any liability for damages resulting from the use of the
information contained herein. The manufacturer reserves the right to change
the specifications, functions, or circuitry of the product without notice.

The manufacturer cannot accept liability for damages due to misuse of the
product or other circumstances outside the manufacturer’s control. The
manufacturer will not be responsible for any loss, damage, or injury arising
directly or indirectly from the use of this product.

System introduction

Thank you for choosing the Rose Electronics ViewLink CATx enhanced
KVM extender. The ViewLink CATx is the result of Rose Electronics
commitment to providing state-of-the-art solutions for today’s demanding
workplace. The ViewLink CATx has proven to be a valuable investment for any
business, big or small, that has a need to access computers, servers, or KVM
switches from remote locations. Using the ViewLink CATx to remotely access
your computer has several applications that make it convenient for the users.
You can locate your computers in a secure area and access them from other
unsecured areas. Computers used in hazardous industrial environments can be
accessed remotely, keeping the users safe and unexposed to any hazards.

The ViewLink CATx system consists of two Units, a transmitter Unit and a
receiver Unit. The transmitter connects easily to your computer or KVM switch.
The receiver Unit connects to a remote keyboard, video monitor and a mouse.
The transmitter and receiver units are conn ec ted tog et her with ind ustry
standard CAT5, CAT5e, or CAT6 shielded or unshielded, solid core twisted-pair
cable terminated with RJ45M connectors. All models can extend the distance
from the CPU up to 300 or 1,000 feet. Applications can be executed, computer
maintenance performed, and any function normally done can be performed with
virtually no degradation in video quality and performance. Touchscreen
applications are also supported using the special designed ViewLink CATx.

Installation only takes a few minutes since the ViewLink CATx automatically
sets up various parameters and functions based on your system topology.
There are no jumpers to set or adjustment knobs to turn. Parameters like video
gain and color skew are automatically compensated for and properly adjusted
based on the length and type of CATx cable used. Some fine tuning can easily
be done using keyboard commands, but are rarely needed.

The only cable needed is a CATx cable to connect the transmitter to the
receiver. CATx cable can be ordered from Rose Electronics in 25-1,000 foot
lengths.

VIEWLINK CATX INSTALLATION AND OPERATIONS MANUAL

1

Features

 Available in automatic skew and non-skew models that connect to

computers with PS/2 keyboard and mouse ports, computers with USB
keyboard and mouse ports, or KVM switches with DB25F KVM ports

 Extend a KVM station from a CPU using a single CATx cable
 Resolution :

1024 x 768 @ 60Hz @ 1,000’

Up to 1920 x 1440 @ 60Hz @ 300’

 ViewLink CATx uses a microprocessor to emulate the keyboard and mouse

for plug and play operation. The keyboard and mouse on the receiver Unit
do not have to be connected for the PC to boot; only the transmitter Unit
must be connected to the PC

 Compatible with Rose Electronics family of KVM switches such as

ServeView Pro, UltraView Pro and UltraMatrix

 Operating system independent
 Status indicator LEDs on each RJ45 connector
 All settings and video tuning are performed automatically. No user

adjustments are needed to achieve a crystal clear display on the receiver
KVM monitor. (Manual adjustments are available using special keyboard
commands)

Package contents

The package contents consist of the following:

 The ViewLink CATx transmitter and receiver units as ordered
 Power adapter for receiver Unit
 Installation and operations manual
 PS/2 “Y” cable for receiver unit

CATx and other cables are usually ordered separately. If the package contents
are not correct, contact Rose Electronics or your reseller, so the problem can
be quickly resolved.

Rose Electronics web site

Visit out web site at www.rose.com for additional information on the ViewLink
CATx and other products that are designed for data center applications,
classroom environments and other applications.

About this manual

This manual covers the installation and operation of the ViewLink CATx
models.

2 VIEWLINK CATX INSTALLATION AND OPERATIONS MANUAL